Thermodynamic evaluation and restoration of volcanic gas analyses: An example based on modern collection and analytical methods

Thermodynamic evaluation and restoration procedures are applied to a set of 10 volcanic gas analyses obtained by modern collection and analytical methods. The samples were collected from a vigorously fuming fissure during episode 1 of the Puu Oo eruption of Kilauea Volcano in 1983. A variety of analytical techniques were used to determine the gas compositions. In most samples, the combined amounts of N2 + Ar + O2 are far less abundant than H2, CO, or H2S, suggesting little or no contamination or reaction with atmospheric gases. Thermodynamic evaluation shows that 6 of the 10 analyses are equilibrium compositions, and 4 analyses are disequilibrium compositions. Three of the disequilibrium analyses involve samples affected by minor spilling of NaOH solution from the sample bottles during collection. The deviation of these analyses from equilibrium is dominated by the effects of disequilibrium water-loss. The fourth disequilibrium analysis is contaminated with meteoric water. In all 4 cases, the restoration procedures retrieve the original equilibrium compositions. -from Author